1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to a vehicle electrical connection system and, more particularly, to a connection device that allows a portable electronic component to be connected to the electrical system of a vehicle in a manner that provides connection of both electrical power and signal communication lines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that receptacles previously used solely as cigarette lighters, can be used to provide electrical power to many components in a vehicle. For example, portable compasses and radar detectors commonly use a cigarette lighter receptacle in an automobile as a power source.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,388, which issued to Dong, on May 28, 2002, describes a remote starter device for cars. The remote starting device is intended chiefly for use in cars that utilize a pulse signal that is generated by either an RF transmitter, a keypad, or a telephone. The pulse signal is transmitted to a routing drive attached to the subject ignition. When the device receives the pulse signal, the rotating drive rotates to activate the ignition of the car, thereby starting the engine. The remote starting device operates independently of the car's circuitry using only the car's battery, via the cigarette lighter, as a power source. There is no need to modify the car's electrical system to install the device. This greatly simplifies installation of the device and does not jeopardize any applicable warranty on the car.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,563, which issued to Norman on Jan. 15, 2002, describes a lighted sign display assembly. A lighted sign display assembly includes a housing of lens aperture formed at a base end of the housing. The lens aperture secures the lens to the housing within the lens aperture, and the lens has areas that are formed to convey visual information. The housing may be ellipsoid-shaped, and the illumination assembly may include a power adapter coupled to the running lights or cigarette lighter of a vehicle to thereby apply electrical energy to the illumination assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,372, which issued to Wood on Dec. 28, 1999, describes a GPS power/beta cable system. A device for coupling global positioning system (GPS) to computer systems in a way that takes advantage of available power supplies is described. The device includes an adaptive power base that may be used to replace the standard battery-pack basis of many portable GPS receivers. The adaptive power base is coupled through an interface cabling system to an external power supply. The power supply maybe associated with a computer means, such as a mouse or keyboard port, or it may be a completely separate source, such as an automobile's cigarette outlet. The interface cabling system includes coupling for linking the beta communications port of the GPS receiver and the computer system together. The GPS receiver is more adaptive to available power sources and therefore may be used for longer periods of time in a variety of locations. The design is simple in that it includes standard connectors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,824, which issued to Fan on Jan. 19, 1999, describes an extension device for mounting in automobile cigarette lighter holder. An extension device adapted to be mounted in the automobile cigarette lighter holder includes an adaptor side and configured to be fit into the automobile cigarette lighter holder, an end holder for holding a mobile phone, a power outlet section arranged between the adaptor and the end holder and connected thereto by a means of a first and second connector both of which are capable to rotate about two diagonal axes to allow the adjustment of spatial location of the mobile phone. The adaptor has a central bore inside which a plug, serving as the negative contact, is received and spring bias to be contacted engageable with the negative contact of the cigarette holder. The adaptor also has a plurality of flutes formed on a side surface, inside each of which a resilient strip is received to serve as a positive contact. The strip has a U-shaped end. An adjusting ring is movably engaged on the adaptor having a wedging face in camming engagement with the U-shaped end of the resilient strip so that by moving the adjusting ring, the camming action between the wedging face and the resilient strip forces the strip to expand outward and is thus secured inside the cigarette holder. A speaker may be provided inside the power outlet section and in signal communication with the mobile phone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,706, which issued to Hughes et al on Jan. 13, 1998, describes a connector lead for a transceiver unit. A mobile telephone apparatus comprises a transceiver unit having a handset cradle, signal antenna and port for the connection of a handset, external loudspeaker/microphone, power supply, etc. A power lead for connecting the power supply port of the apparatus to a cigarette lighter socket is stored when not in use by plugging the cigarette lighter adaptor at one end of the lead into a dummy socket formed in a housing which is detachably connected to the transceiver unit. The lead is combined with a carrying strap, one end of which is connected to the cigarette adaptor and the other end of which is detachably connectable to a retaining slot on the transceiver unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,538, which issued to Nickerson on May 27, 1997, describes an active and illuminated information module for a motor vehicle's cigar/cigarette lighter or other power receptacles. An attachment for a cigarette light receptacle in a vehicle simulates the external shape, size, and appearance of a conventional vehicle cigarette lighter which is normally seated in the cigarette lighter receptacle. A control circuit, light source, smoke detector, and alarm are housed in the attachment. The attachment includes electrical contacts which are connected to the control circuit and which also, when the attachment is seated in the cigarette lighter receptacle, interconnect the control circuit with both the ground and electrical contact of the vehicle cigarette lighter receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,863, which issued to Xuan on Apr. 16, 1991, describes a module-type multi-function electrical power adaptor for automobiles and the like. The invention is a power outlet adaptor for use in add-on electrical accessories in an automobile vehicle having a cigarette lighter socket. This device embodies a plurality of separate attachable modules which may be attached to a basic module insertable into the light socket and constructed to receive the additional modules, so as to provide multiple electrical outputs. Such a module-type arrangement allows the adapter to fit the mounting space of cigarette light sockets in various vehicles, boats, campers, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,235, which issued to Brown et al, on Jun. 27, 1989, describes an automobile clip board and light unit. An illuminated clip board for a motor vehicle is provided that includes a male cigarette lighter adaptor plug which is placed into a female cigarette lighter socket on a dashboard for supplying power to the lamp of the clipboard. The male adaptor plug stabilizes the clipboard so that a person can see information and write on the clipboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,262, which issued to Wahl on Aug. 25, 1981, describes an electronic transmitter device. A system for opening garage doors in which a radio receiver in the garage, upon receipt of a signal operates to open the garage door and in which a casing containing a radio transmitter is adapted for insertion into the socket of a cigarette lighter in the driver's compartment of a motor car is described. Switch means are providing for connecting this transmitter with a source of electrical power to actuate the transmitter and emit a radio signal at a frequency to which the receiver is receptive when the casing is inserted into the socket.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,771, which issued to Buckley et al on Aug. 14, 2001, discloses a control system for a marine vessel. A control system for a marine vessel incorporates a marine propulsion system that can be attached to a marine vessel and connected in signal communication with a serial communication bus and a controller. A plurality of input devices and output devices are also connected in signal communication with the communication bus and a bus access manager, such as a CAN Kingdom network, is connected in signal communication with the controller to regulate the incorporation of additional devices to the plurality of devices in signal communication with the bus whereby the controller is connected in signal communication with each of the plurality of devices on the communication bus. The input and output devices can each transmit messages to the serial communication bus for receipt by other devices.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.
It is well known to those skilled in the art that a female cigarette lighter receptacle in a vehicle, such as an automobile or a boat, can also be used to provide electrical power to devices other than the male socket inserted into the cigarette lighter receptacle. As an example which is known to those skilled in the art, various types of air pumps, directional compasses, and radar detectors are provided with a male plug that is insertable into a standard automobile female cigarette lighter receptacle in order to provide electrical power to the portable device.
In certain circumstances, portable electrical devices require not only an electrical power connection to a power source but, in addition, they may also require data lines to be connected to allow the portable electrical device to communicate information to a component associated with the vehicle. An example of this type of information is the use of a portable global positioning satellite (GPS) system in a vehicle, such as a marine vessel.
The portable GPS requires electrical power to be provided to it. However, it also often requires data lines to be connected between the portable GPS unit and the information processing system of the marine vessel if the GPS information is to be used in association with other peripheral devices on the marine vessel, such as a microprocessor, display screen, or sophisticated propulsion control module (PCM) associated with a data bus of the marine vessel. It would therefore be significantly beneficial if a connector could be provided that allows both electrical power and data connections to be made simultaneously in one simple operation between a portable electrical device, such as a portable GPS unit, and an electrical system of a vehicle such as a marine vessel. Typically, the power connection is made through the use of a cigarette lighter connector and the data connection is made separately between the portable electrical device and the information processing is system of the vehicle.